Green Texas cichlid

The green Texas cichlid, Herichthys carpintis, comes from the Pánuco and Soto la Marina drainages of northeastern Mexico, inhabiting lakes and slow rivers. It is prized for the large, glittering pearlescent blue-green spangles covering its body, typically larger and more blotchy than those of its close relative H. cyanoguttatus. A big, powerful and highly territorial fish reaching around 25 cm, it needs a large tank with a sand bed, sturdy rockwork and robust decor, as it digs and rearranges freely. Aggression peaks during spawning, so choose tankmates carefully or keep it in a species or large-cichlid setup. Water is hard and neutral to alkaline: temperature 22-28C, pH 7.0-8.0. An unfussy omnivore, it thrives on quality pellets supplemented with vegetables, frozen and occasional live foods.